


~Signs of Love~

by 1InSaNeAnGeL



Category: Persona 3 (Slightly), Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Crossdressing, F/M, Falling In Love, Healing From Heartbreak, Idiots in Love, Implied Sexual Content, Kurusu Akira can be very Insecure, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Mild Language, Minor Violence, Moving On, Souji Seta is a Wonderful Boyfriend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:35:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25862926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1InSaNeAnGeL/pseuds/1InSaNeAnGeL
Summary: ~Short glimpses into Souji and Akira's relationship. In no particular order, but did falling in love ever have one?~
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Narukami Yu, Amamiya Ren/Persona 4 Protagonist, Background Shirogane Naoto/Kitagawa Yusuke, Implied Arsene/Izanagi (Persona Series), Kujikawa Rise/Narukami Yu (One sided), Kujikawa Rise/Persona 4 Protagonist (One sided), Kujikawa Rise/Souji Seta (One sided), Kurusu Akira/Persona 4 Protagonist, Kurusu Akira/Seta Souji, Narukami Yu/Persona 5 Protagonist, Past Minato Arisato/Kurusu Akira, Past Persona 3 Protagonist/Persona 5 Protagonist, Past Yuuki Makoto/Amamiya Ren, Persona 5 Protagonist/Seta Souji, past Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, past Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, past Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 1
Kudos: 23





	~Signs of Love~

**Author's Note:**

> ~Disclaimer: I don't own the properties used in the creation of this piece. I merely wrote this for fun.
> 
> Listening to "Signs of Love" helped in polishing, editing, and adding more details to these already written down scenes. I suppose I just needed a little big of encouragement.
> 
> I surprisingly like the Persona 4 Protagonist's name in the manga adaptation, so I used it instead of Narukami Yu. I used Kurusu Akira once again, though I like it as much as Amamiya Ren. The only Protagonist name I dislike, honestly, is Yuuki Makoto. Arisato Minato just sounds better to me.
> 
> Mentioned past relationships with Akechi Goro and Arisato Minato. Endgame ship: Pegoban.~

“Is Kurusu Akira-san in?” Seta Souji asked the owner of the flower shop with a polite bow of his head and sweet smile, hands holding what looked like a stuffed bento box.

The brown-haired woman blinked, “Oh! I had no idea Kurusu-kun was having lunch brought to him today.” She mused, locking eyes with Souji. She quickly returned his smile, “Though I have to admit I’m glad to learn he’s eating more, the boy’s thin as a stick!”

“He doesn’t eat a lot?” Souji tilted his head to the side. The woman giggled.

“No, he has quite the appetite! I’ve seen him swallow two bowls of beef ramen, two and in one setting! But he does let time pass him by when he’s here; he often forgets to take a break.” She turned around and approached the counter. “Kurusu-kun, can you come out for a minute?”

“Hai? Is something wrong, Amaya-sama?” A raven with fair skin, gunmetal gray eyes, and inky, curly hair emerged from the backroom, a few flower petals stuck in his short mane.

“You have a visitor for lunch,” Amaya giggled, “You should have told me, silly! You can have a bite to eat as long as you use the workers’ lounge.”

“A visitor? For lunch??” Akira echoed, looking confused. Only when he finally saw the young man, silver hair in a bowl-cut and pewter gray eyes, did it dawn on him. Partially though, he was still confused.

It was the guy from last week. What was his name…? It started with an S, or was that his surname?

‘I wonder why he’s here,’ Akira mused internally. ‘I don’t have to accept his visit,’ he tucked a hand under his chin, ‘if I keep acting unsure, Amaya-sama will ask him to leave. But he was nice to talk to…’ “C-can we use the workers’ lounge then, Amaya-sama? I’m so sorry, it must have slipped my mind that he was coming over to visit today.”

“Of course you can, Kurusu-kun. You were in a need of a break anyway; eleven bouquets in an hour and half was a lot of work.”

Akira smiled and bowed his head, “Arigato, Amaya-sama. Come,” he waved the silver-haired boy over, “The workers’ lounge is past the backroom. We can eat there.”

“Hai,” The silver-haired boy nodded and followed suit, waving at Amaya-sama as he passed. “Thank you so much for letting me visit out-of-the-blue, though I promise I’ll give a heads-up next time! I also brought enough for second and third helpings, I’ll leave them with Kurusu-kun.”

“Oh thank you,” Amaya-san seemed giddy as she went to tend to a customer hovering over an array of pots.

Akira was silent as he led this mysterious customer to the workers’ lounge, removing his apron and draping it on the back of his chair. While small, the room was quaint with cream-colored walls, wooden cabinets, and a recently wiped down sink. There was a mini-fridge and microwave, with reused jars to hold plastic forks, knives, spoons, and straws. The lone table was round and housed four chairs, free of rings and dirt. “You can sit down if you want,” he said, cordial as he went to fetch a bottle of water from the mini-fridge. “Would you like something to drink?”

“I'm fine, thank you though,” the silver-haired boy smiled again, sitting across from Akira. He slid the bento box over to the raven. “I hope you like it.”

“...Do you always bring strangers food?” Akira puzzled, setting his bottle to the side and carefully opening the bento box. The smell that hit his nostrils immediately made his mouth water, gunmetal gray eyes going wide as he opened the box fully. “Mentaiko pasta,” he looked up at the silver-haired boy. “I, I told you about this. How I had it once and it was delicious, but I couldn’t remember the ingredients. You made this for me?”

“We did talk a lot about food,” The silver-haired boy chuckled, relaxing in his seat now. He seemed a bit on edge before, probably worried Akira wouldn’t like what he brought. “I got hungry afterwards; I remembered I learned how to make Mentaiko pasta back in Inaba, it’s probably not as good as the one you had but...I hope you like it.”

“Again, do you always bring strangers food?”

“Well I assumed we weren’t complete strangers, as I remembered your name. Kurusu Akira-san, right?”

“H-Hai. Yes, that’s me. And you are...ugh, I know it starts with an S,” the raven made a face, sighing. “I’ve been a little more forgetful than usual as of late.”

“Seta Souji,” The silver-haired boy confirmed, expression so sunny still. “And don’t worry, I’m terrible at remembering stuff too. Luckily calendars exist or I’d be doomed, haha!”

Akira couldn’t resist smiling back, “Got to love reminders you can set days in advance, right?”

“Exactly, you know the struggle!”

Akira tore off the plastic wrapping around his fork with his teeth, mindful to gather it all and dispose of it into the trash without having to leave his seat. “Impressive,” Souji praised. The raven turned pink around the cheeks.

He took his time twirling as many noodles around his fork before lifting the mess to his lips. Akira’s eyes were closed as he chewed, and he chewed slowly to get the entire burst of flavors. Souji watched with stiff shoulders, unsure what to say or do as the other’s face was unfathomable; he blinked, however, in relief when the raven hummed in delight and didn’t waste any time taking another bite.

“This is so yummy!” He exclaimed, eyes sparkling almost. “The sauce is so thick and creamy, and the noodles so soft.” Akira made sure to finish his second forkful before speaking, a hand over his mouth. “And this isn’t store bought. I mean the ingredients are, but this...did you make this?”

“Depends, is it really that good?” Souji rubbed the back of his neck.

“It’s better than good, it’s delicious!”

“Then yeah, I did. I like to cook, and I’m always looking for a challenge. This was a bit harder than making omelets, haha, but it was fun!”

“And you made this...for me?” Akira was unsure how to react to this. How many people willingly make lunch for someone they had only one conversation with?

Souji’s smile was softer this time around. “Yeah, I thought we had such a nice talk last time so I wanted to thank you. If it wasn’t for you, my apartment wouldn’t look as nice as it does. You were right: the Shobus bouquet on my dining table really adds a nice splash of color to all the off-white, browns, and pale yellows.”

“Shobus, it means good news, good tidings, and loyalty,” Akira recalled the bouquet now. A cluster of three bluish-purple petals marked with stripes of yellow, bound together by a simple pink ribbon and releasing a mild summertime aroma every time the wind kissed them. They were indeed beautiful, and Akira simply enjoyed giving his best work to every customer that stopped by.

But this was indeed a surprise. Was he so good at pleasant conversations to warrant a delicious meal brought to him, a delicious meal made by hand no less, from a handsome stranger? They only talked once, which was a week or so ago at this very shop. He remembered having fun, laughing here and there and receiving a paper crane from this silver-haired boy before he disappeared into the crowd.

Akira honestly expected to never see this boy again. What were the chances, with how big of a city Tokyo was?

And yet here he was, bringing him food and smiles.

“This is quite a lot, ha. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to eat it all in one go.” Akira said, prepping his third forkful.

“I told your boss she can help herself to some too, I hope she likes it as well.” Souji pointed out, resting his elbows on the table.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“I had a late breakfast, but trust me seeing you enjoy my pasta is more than enough for me.”

The raven knew he was turning pink around the cheeks, again, heart starting to pick up a little. “Do you bring food to every stranger you meet? And compliment them like that??”

“No, most of the time I save my cooking for my friends and family. But I don’t know why, I wanted to cook for you so I did. I wanted to see you again so I came here; granted, this could have gone horribly wrong, ha as I don’t know your schedule or anything. Something just told me to try.”

“I work here almost every afternoon, once school’s wrapped up.” Akira said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “Unless I have a test or something, I’m usually here with Amaya-sama.”

“You’re a student?”

“Hai, Shujin Academy.”

“Ha, university.” Akira blinked.

“You don’t look like a university professor.”

“University student, ha. But thank you, it’s nice to know I look wiser than I am.” Souji stated, rolling up his jacket sleeves.

‘He looks like he’s wearing a school uniform,’ Akira took note around his next forkful. A black coat and matching pants, a white button-up underneath with polished dress shoes. Was there a school that had that uniform here in Tokyo?

Wait, Inaba. That was far away from here, right? So maybe it’s the uniform he used to wear when he went to school there?

“Are you alright?” Souji asked, pewter gray eyes dimming a little. He was frowning now.

“Nani? Oh, yeah I am! Gomen nasai, I was just wondering if you’re wearing a school uniform. Most universities don’t require them, they have a dress code but no set uniforms.”

“You’re right, this is my old high school uniform,” Souji was impressed by Akira’s astute observation, his smile returning. “Haha, one of my friends commented on it when he came by for a visit. I guess I just got so used to wearing it all the time, I barely notice it anymore.”

“Do you wear it to show school pride?”

“Nani?”

“You’re from Inaba, right?” Akira hoped he wasn’t remembering incorrectly.

“I lived in Inaba for a year,” Souji confirmed with a nod, resisting the urge to grin. He found it rather sweet that Akira had remembered this; he had hoped to leave quite the impression, but the raven was hard to read. “And I guess you can see it that way, yeah. Though I wear it to save up on laundry money too, haha!”

The raven’s expression softened. “Laundry can be expensive, every coin counts. That, and I have to change out of my school uniform when I clock in so I get it. I’ll even wear parts of my uniform on days off, the pants are just so comfortable.”

Souji felt some heat bite at his cheeks, “You are rather beautiful, you know…”

“I am? For wearing my school uniform on days off?”

“Hai, to do so with such style and comfort is admirable. And who says uniforms can’t be fashion forward?” Souji shrugged and rested his chin on his palm. “I knew you were interesting, Kurusu-san. I had that feeling the moment we started talking.”

Akira was unsure how to respond to that. He looked away, cleared his throat slightly. “Do you always hit on strangers in addition to bringing them home cooked meals?” He inquired, biting softly on his lower lip.

“No. Hitting on can be taken as if I’m just here for one thing,” Souji began explaining, brushing his bangs to the side. “And I’m here for more if I’m honest. I want to get to know you, not just get in your pants.”

Akira’s face must have been a tomato at this point, and he would be lying if he claimed that this straightforward honesty wasn’t rather...intriguing?

“Not just get in my pants, huh?”

“Far from that. And at any point you feel I’m not being honest, say the word and I’m gone.”

“Gone?”

“Promise.” Seta Souji raised a hand as he nodded, “I respect you too much to try anything, so I promise if I can’t win over your heart I’ll back off right then and there.”

* * *

“Who is that?” One Hanamura Yosuke asked, joined by the likes of Teddi and Tatsumi Kanji in the nearby bushes. His fawn colored hair had some leaves stuck in it but he ignored this for now, brown eyes wide.

His best friend and partner by the name of Seta Souji was all smiles and shiny pewter gray eyes as he rose from the park bench he had been roosting on to greet another boy, much lankier but not much taller. The boy had frizzy black hair and eyes the color of gunmetal, sporting glasses and a bag from another school. He seemed a little on the shy side right now, turning pink when Souji kissed his cheek. But his smile was just as bright, just as eager as he hugged Souji back.

“Since when does sensei meet boys here?” Teddi voiced with awe. He wasn’t judging in the slightest, he could care less who Souji was into but this was a new development indeed.

Especially since this isn’t the first time he’s seen this same frizzy-haired boy with Souji. Yosuke and Kanji didn’t believe the short blond when he stated that Souji’s been heading out of town for dates at least once a month for the last six, and now with the proof before their very eyes this was both glorious yet still puzzling.

This had to be it, right? This frizzy-haired boy was the reason Souji’s been heading out of town so much as of late, right?

Was he his boyfriend?

“Aki! I can’t believe you came to see me,” Souji exclaimed with a happy laugh, hands sliding down the other boy’s arms to hold his hands in his. “I mean you said you had a surprise for me, but this? This is amazing…!”

“Stop it,” the boy Souji called Aki mumbled, looking away and biting softly his lower lip. He soon met Souji’s eyes with a warm grin though, clearly everything but annoyed with the silver-haired boy. “I had to pull a few strings, because Sojiro was a little iffy on me coming to Inaba by myself but we worked it out so I’m here for three days. It was originally two but he tossed in the extra because he’s awesome like that.”

“You took over most of his shifts last week,” Souji guessed, brushing a few locks of curly raven hair out of Akira’s face.

“That on top of exams and double shifts at the flower shop since Amaya-sama was out of town for a wedding,” Akira agreed, shaking his head. “I felt like my fingers were going to fall off and my eyes bleed out, but...something told me it would be worth it. And it is.” The raven’s expression read nothing but sincere admiration with a touch of unsure-ness. “Seeing you, it’s worth it.”

“I’m so happy you’re here.” Souji whispered this, the trio just barely making the confession out, as he leaned forward slightly.

“Is he going to kiss him?!” Kanji’s jaw dropped, hands on either side of his head. “He wouldn’t kiss him like that! I mean he wouldn’t kiss someone he isn’t into, right?!”

“Shut up, man! They’ll hear us,” Yosuke whined, slapping Kanji’s arm and ducking further behind the bush. “But yeah I think so, Souji’s a flirt but when he likes someone he’s only into them. So this guy-”

The fawn-haired boy cut himself off when he saw that Souji hadn’t kissed the frizzy-haired boy, even when leaning in could promise that. The frizzy-haired boy hadn’t moved to close the distance between his and Souji’s lips either, his hands now resting against the older boy’s chest.

The two stayed absolutely still for what felt like hours before the frizzy-haired boy nodded. He moved one of his hands to rest on Souji’s cheek; another quick lip bite, another blush coloring those porcelain cheeks before two pairs of lips met chastely. The frizzy-haired boy’s gunmetal gray eyes fluttered shut before their mouths even brushed, a soft sigh leaving him when Souji’s arms encircled his waist. Souji in turn didn’t attempt to deepen the kiss on the spot, seemingly content with keeping the exchange simple; when the frizzy-haired boy pulled away, however, Souji’s cheeks were a soft peach.

“Was that alright?” He asked, tilting his head to the side.

“We’ve been going out for a few months now, Souji-senpai.” This Aki began, rubbing the back of his neck. He allowed some space between them, taking a deep breath. “Sometimes you take me out to dinner, sometimes I take you out to dinner. Sometimes you cook for me, sometimes I cook for you; we once spent an entire afternoon making curry and omelets, and we made so much Sojiro and Futaba-chan chowed down on omelets for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for two weeks. Sometimes we go to the park or mall, sometimes you just stay over with me.”

“Hai, Tokyo always looks its best from Cafe LeBlanc,” Souji said with a tiny smile. Though he said nothing more, wanting to hear this Aki out.

“Wait, so they’re not boyfriends? They’ve just been going out?” Teddi raised a brow. “But sensei’s been going out of town for months now, so I assumed…”

“Shh!” Yosuke scolded, slapping a hand over Teddi’s mouth when the frizzy-haired boy continued speaking.

“Yeah, it does...so?” Aki asked, crossing his arms. Souji sweatdropped.

“So...what?”

“Are you seeing other guys and girls when we’re apart?” Aki asked, expression unfathomable. “Am I just another person in your life?”

“Nani? No,” Souji blinked, shaking his head. “I don’t date multiple people at once, that’s what an asshole does. I’m an ass but not an asshole.” This really corny line made the frizzy-haired boy let out a snicker, despite trying to look super serious at the moment. “I want us to be dating, you and me. I want us to be exclusive.”

“You do?”

“I do, but I can’t say we are if you don’t feel we’re there yet.” Akira blinked.

“You mean, you were waiting for me to say we were?” Souji smiled.

“Yeah. Aki, I can tell you’re not someone who takes romance lightly,” Souji went on to elaborate, taking the frizzy-haired boy’s hands in his again. “You are cheeky and can be flirty, very flirty, when you want to be but it’s not you a hundred percent. I think when you have strong feelings for someone, you’re private about it. You’re not someone who’s going into a relationship with your heart on your sleeve; I think that entails that you’ve had it broken before…”

The frizzy-haired boy known as Aki chewed on the inside of his cheek, and the smallest hint of a nod became clear.

“And because that’s happened before, you’re very cautious with your feelings. Your instincts tell you that this is real, but the fear keeps you from falling too fast and too soon,” Souji’s tone was everything but clinical or demanding; he drew the frizzy-haired boy to sit in his lap, folding his hands over his hip. “I get it. Trust me when I say I tried my best not to go overboard, like get you flowers every time I came to visit or text you heart emojis every night. I wanted to, I wanted to show you just how much I like you but I also know that everything takes time. It takes time to feel safe with someone. It takes time to want to be around someone, especially if you’re starting to see them in a different light. And it especially takes time to fall in love.”

“I thought it took years to get to know someone but only a second to fall in love,” Aki argued with no real heat behind his words, resting his head on Souji’s shoulder.

“I think you and me are a little different there, and that’s alright. I fell in love with you at first sight,” Souji said, pressing a soft peck to the frizzy-haired boy’s temple. “If you fall in love with me, no matter how long it takes, that will be enough to leave me set for life.”

“No matter how long it takes?”

“I have all the time in the world.”

“Dude sounds serious,” Kanji couldn’t help but say in awe, gently running a hand through his bleached blond sweptback crew cut. “He seems really dedicated to this frizzy-haired guy, Aki...he’s not from around here so guessing long-distance?”

“It seems like that,” Teddi voiced his agreement, looking at Yosuke. “Yosuke?”

“I never thought I’d see my partner so in love,” the fawn-haired boy said softly, a tiny smile causing his lips to curl upwards. “He’s a total chick magnet, and yet I’ve never seen him like this before. All of the smiling, hugging; this is totally not the same Souji like when we were all plastered playing darts. He’s totally in love.”

“Mihael,” the three heard the frizzy-haired boy say suddenly. Souji let out a hum of confusion.

“Mihael?”

“I always liked that name for a boy. I did say I’d like to get married one day, have a family with a really amazing guy..so if you’re still thinking about going forward with me, keep that in mind.” Aki explained, gunmetal gray meeting startling pewter.

There was a bout of silence between the two, and the trio in the bush found themselves biting their nails as they awaited the reply from their fellow leader and friend.

“Can our little Mihael have your eyes? I love your eyes, it would be very nice if he had them too. Then again, if our little Mihael exists period and if anyone asks who’s the love of my life...I’m going to have to say him over you, babe. Sorry.”

“He’s talking babies with him!” Teddi hissed loudly, his aquamarine blue eyes wide as dinner plates. “Babies, as in little people! He wants to have babies with him. Wait, can two guys have babies together? They don’t need a girl?”

“Not having this talk with you right now,” Kanji declared then and there, slightly paler than normal. When Teddi opened his mouth to rebuttal, the taller boy just held up a hand and shook his head. “Not happening, bear.”

* * *

Seta Souji slowly, very slowly opened his pewter gray eyes when he felt the weight to his left suddenly shift and leave the warm, soft sheets spread over his bed. He stifled a yawn and without making any noise sat up, the sheets pooling around his waist. Rubbing away the itchy, crusty sand trapped between the folds in his eyes, Souji found his vision now much clearer than before. Sunlight was pouring in through the parted curtains of his bedroom window, his gaze drawn immediately to the pile of clothes a few feet from his bedroom door.

His discarded white button-up and beige pants were still there, along with his socks and boxers. That wasn’t a surprise, Souji seeing his clothes as this was his bedroom in his two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment.

No, what was surprising was seeing his clothes mingled, in both article and scent, with the likes of a solid black t-shirt, a white button-up with a pair of relaxed blue jeans and an undone brown belt. The silver buckle was shiny, and there were no boxers in sight.

‘He...he stayed,’ Souji’s heart fluttered at the realization, even if his facial expression betrayed no sign of relief or joy. He heard a noise coming from the kitchen. Light on his toes, the silver-haired man got out of bed and lingered behind the door which had been left ajar at some point during the night.

The raven was in the kitchen, standing in his boxers. Instead of the usual hands-in-pockets posture Souji was familiar with from him, the raven’s arms were crossed over his chest. He was waiting.

The smell of coffee slowly began growing heavier and heavier.

He was making coffee?

“He’ll like this better than that gross instant stuff,” Souji heard the raven say, a slender, pale hand angling the coffee pot just right so not a single drop is wasted on the counter.

Wait, there was only one cup. Had he brewed enough only for himself?

He said that “He’ll like this better than that gross instant stuff”. So it wasn’t for himself but for Souji.

“I...I don’t know how he takes it,” The raven sounded embarrassed by this? Folding a hand under his smooth, sharp chin, the raven took a deep breath. He then padded across the kitchen, barefoot, for the refrigerator. He explored its contents until his fingers were curled around a bottle of creamer. He fetched the sugar bowl as well, closing the refrigerator door with his hip. “Ugh, why am I doing this?” The raven rested his hands on the kitchen counter again, hanging his head. “This is stupid, j-just stupid. This means nothing, he’s a nice guy and all but...this is just a one-time thing right? I don’t want to get caught up, catch feelings when I know it will end as soon I ease up. Seta-san,” the raven took a deep breath, one of his hands leaving the counter to trace the curve of his lips. Porcelain skin grew hot, and flushed with darkening pink. His glasses obscure his eyes, but Souji can tell the raven was struggling internally by his hunched shoulders and trembling knees.

Souji curled his fingers along the door frame.

“Last night, ha I’m so pathetic but I felt so...what he made me feel,” The raven turned himself around, rested his palms against the counter and shook his head back and forth. Tear drops flew everywhere, the raven’s lower lip between his straight, white teeth. “Stop, just stop Akira. You know this won’t last; you gave your heart to someone once and it got decimated, don’t be stupid. Don’t make the same mistake again or you’ve learned nothing.” The raven named Akira swiftly removed his glasses, wiped his eyes and let out a sigh. “This was just a one-time thing. The company is nice and the sex great, but that’s all this is. We’re just friends, nothing more. I’m not feeling anything for Seta-san.”

Akira’s lips twisted upwards shortly after nodding a few times, seemingly having convinced himself of his own logic. The raven, instead of sliding his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose, folded them up and left them on the counter.

Large, mesmerizing eyes the color of gunmetal, several shades blended together into a pool littered with dark pearls and stars long robbed of their shine. Akira brushed a few unruly curls of inky black hair to the side, straightened his back, and arranged the bottle of creamer, the sugar bowl and the tea cup filled with coffee on a small tray he found under the sink. Turning the kitchen lights off on his way back to the bedroom, Akira was silent as a mime with the tray lightly pressed against his chest.

Souji was quick to crawl back into bed, tugging the sheets back up to his waist and laying back down on top of his pillow. He pretended to be stirring when Akira set the tray down on the bedside table, the raven sitting down on Souji’s bed. “Morning, sleepy head.” Akira greeted, his tone light and amicable. His eyes were on Souji’s face, “I made you coffee. That instant crap you have in your kitchen, it’s going to kill you one day. A good lay deserves a good post-lay caffeine boost.” Akira watched as Souji sat up slowly, rubbing his pewter gray eyes. “I might have to go in a little bit, I’m meeting Hifume-chan and then I have an afternoon shift at LeBlanc. It might be awhile before we hang out again.”

Souji’s expression was unfathomable to Akira, and that bothered the raven. Why he didn’t know, as this was a one-time thing. He was seriously considering cutting Seta Souji out of his life for good, since he was realizing he was slipping. But to be this way? Was the other purposely giving him the cold shoulder?

Souji said he wouldn’t, he wouldn’t try to hurt Akira.

“Hey, is something wrong?” Despite the anger boiling under his skin at the moment, Akira’s concern was genuine which caused him to gently take Souji’s hand in his. “Did I do something wrong? Do you hate coffee or maybe...I shouldn’t have been so loose in making myself at home. Gomen nasai, Seta-”

Akira’s apology was cut short when Souji pulled his hand away only to use that very same hand to cup the raven’s face, running a careful thumb under his left eye.

The man with pewter gray eyes can still feel the cool wetness of Akira’s crying from earlier.

“H-hey, what is up with you? Seta-san, say something damn it! You’re freaking me out,” Akira scowled, his hands on Souji’s shoulders. “Say something or I’ll dump this coffee on-”

Akira was cut off once again, only by Souji’s lips. Thin but warm, soft and usually chaste but now pressing and passionate. The passion wasn’t completely fueled by lust, in fact lust would have made more sense to Akira as to why Souji’s kissing him. It was a one-time thing, bullshit the sex last night was great so why stop at one night?

But this kiss, it was like the ones Souji gave him last night. Soft, slow, and more about reassuring the raven that everything would be alright than to take pleasure from his lips, his neck, and from between his legs. How Souji’s eyes fluttered shut, body relaxing as if Akira’s kiss was coated with a cure-all for the buried emotional and mental ailments he kept bottled up inside every day. At first Akira pushed back against the older boy’s chest, his gray eyes watering again. He let out whines, as if in pain and his shoulders began shaking.

And just like that, the kiss was over.

“Thank you so much for the coffee, Akira-kun.” Souji said, pulling away with a tiny yet radiant smile. He kissed the raven’s knuckles before carefully lifting the tea cup from the tray. He took a hearty sip, pewter gray eyes closed as he let the flavors burst across his taste buds.

‘He takes it dark roast, no sugar or cream.’ Akira didn’t know why he made a mental note of this but he did, watching with a distant, foggy look in his eyes.

“Hmmm,” Souji’s hum was faint like wind chimes, fleeting. Though when his eyes fluttered open once again, his smile had broadened. “This is better than instant,” he took another sip, releasing a purr this time. “Definitely better than instant. I know you work at a cafe, but this is the first time I have your coffee. You’ve been depriving me of a greater pleasure!” The silver-haired man whined out this last part, gently flicking Akira’s nose. “Don’t do that, please? I don’t care how much I have to pay for it, I want your coffee at least once a week. This is delicious.” Souji carried on drinking happily, one of his arms loosely looped around Akira’s waist.

‘What the fuck just happened?’ Akira thought, rendered mute for the rest of the morning.

* * *

“Are you going to tell me what the fuck happened to you?”

Akira kept his head ducked, teeth digging into the smooth, thin skin of his lower lip. He scowled when Souji grabbed his chin as gently as he could and began to dab the bleeding cut in Akira’s cheek with hydrogen peroxide. “...”

“Hold still, we don’t want this to get infected.” The silver-haired man’s hands were steady, nimble, the first aid kit propped open in his lap. Souji’s apartment was dimly lit, the main light source being the T.V. in the living room. He was taking care of Akira in the kitchen, the younger looking everywhere but at Souji. “There we go, the cut’s not too deep luckily. We don’t need to go to the ER.”

“Great. Can I go home now?” Akira grumbled, rubbing his eyes. Souji scowled.

“Tell me what the fuck happened, Akira.”

“Sorry, no can do Seta-san. It’s my business and mine alone, and it’s over anyway.” Akira said, shaking his head. Stupid idea; now the room’s spinning. He must have gotten nailed in the head, and really hard too.

‘The hell? That Shadow wasn’t aiming mindlessly, it was a fucking trick.’

“No, no, no. You’re not going anywhere,” Souji forced Akira to sit back down, as the raven started leaning to the side. His eyes were clouded over, breathing even but footing unsteady. The older man searched his face, pewter gray eyes sharp as daggers. “You got hit.”

“I’m fine!” Akira hissed, only to wince when Souji pressed on a rather large bump located at the top of his head. “Shit, that hurts!”

“Someone decked you, and decked you hard. You might have a concussion, you can’t think I’m going to let you walk back to LeBlanc by yourself like this. No you’re staying here, and that’s final.” Souji’s maternal instincts were out in full force, disappearing into the kitchen only to reappear two minutes later with an ice pack.

Akira’s eyes burned with tears as the cool touch brought immense, immediate relief to the throbbing heat threatening to crack his skull in half. His breathing evened out, half of his face feeling stiff due to the large band-aid over the cut in his cheek. He swallowed around the lump in his throat, shoulders slumped.

Souji counted softly to himself, taking away the ice pack for five minutes then replacing it back five minutes later. He had grabbed a water bottle from the refrigerator beforehand, uncapping it with his teeth and holding it out to Akira. “Drink, you need to stay hydrated.”

“What are you, a nurse?” Akira asked, though his words this time weren’t as heated.

“I worked as a janitor at Inaba Municipal Hospital most evenings after school, I picked up a few things so shut the fuck up and drink.” If Souji’s tone could kill…

‘Why is he so mad? He’s not the one who’s hurt, I am.’ Akira knew he was being irrationally upset with Souji, but if he couldn’t be angry then what was left? He refused to feel touched, to feel happy that Souji cared. That Souji worried about him so much to take care of him.

No, doing that meant Akira gave a damn and he wasn’t going to give Souji that satisfaction.

The raven didn’t say any of this out loud despite so badly wanting to, obeying begrudgingly Souji’s order. The water tasted so sweet, and was so cold; Akira didn’t realize how thirsty he was until he finished half the bottle, setting it on the dining room table with a choking sigh.

“Told you,” Souji’s smirk was smug and Akira wanted to punch him.

“Fuck you,” He said instead, feeling his cheeks warm up. No! He shouldn’t react this way; blushing and feeling shy and his heart racing a thousand miles per second, this was fucking bullshit!!

And it was only with him, damn it. Only with Seta Souji…

‘I’ve known him for months, yet despite my attempts to not warm up to him I have. No matter how hard I’ve tried to keep him out, he finds a way to worm himself back in. Into my life, my thoughts...and possibly my heart as well.’ Akira sucked on his teeth loudly to express his deeper frustration. The cut on his cheek will heal, it will be a memory in no time but this? This moment of being cared for by the silver-haired man will leave a linger. If not his gentle, careful touches, his soothing, rich growl of an alto or his eyes, always shining and welcoming and alluring, will.

He needed to get his act together!

“You don’t mind eggs, do you?”

“Eh?” Akira blinked, and soon enough a bowl of Tamago Kake Gohan was placed in front of him along with a napkin and a pair of chopsticks. “What the hell?”

Souji scoffed, crossing his arms. “You honestly didn’t expect me to not feed you, right? I know you haven’t eaten dinner.”

“How would you know? You don’t eat dinner with me.”

“The Phantom Thieves usually carry out their infiltrations in the evenings, correct? Even if it’s only to gather Intel and map out the palace. Trying to do so during the day would be troublesome, with school and work and all.”

Akira froze. His gunmetal gray eyes were wide as dinner plates; he snapped his head in the direction of Souji’s voice, the older male lounging against the kitchen counter like some lazy feline. “W-what are you implying?”

Souji tilted his head to the side. “I’m not implying anything,” he mended Akira’s inquiry, half shrugging. “I’m stating facts. I know you’re a Phantom Thief, Akira-kun. The leader, in fact: Joker. It wasn’t that hard to piece together, the clues were right in front of me.” Souji moved to the stove to spoon some rice into another bowl. His back to Akira, he resumed speaking. “Joker’s hair, it’s rather frizzy and wild as if it hasn’t seen a comb in years. Now I can say yours is much more tamed, but…” he paused, looking over his shoulder. “The same hair color, same hair length. Joker wears a mask, but his eyes are too bright to be pitch black, not blue or green as those would be very distracting. You’re reserved and prefer to observe, while Joker is clamorous in both fashion sense and choice of words. Same height, same weight; also, remember that I’ve seen you naked. I know how you cock your hips, the way your chin dips when you nod your head, when you straighten your shoulders. I’m not saying sex is the same as thievery, but the thrill you get from both is unique to you.”

“...You followed me, us.”

“No, I didn’t have to. And I wouldn’t have even if my suspicions had been for naught.” Souji was quick to clarify, a frown pulling his lips downwards. “Even if my curiosity left me unable to sleep at night, I wouldn’t have thought to follow you, Akira-kun. That could have put you and your friends in danger; what if I had been followed? If I had been followed and video or pictures had been taken? I would never forgive myself if my actions led to you being harmed.”

‘The way he said that...he makes it sound as if hurting me amounts to some ultimate sin.’

“I worry about you, yes,” Souji went on, either taking Akira’s silence as consent to keep talking or just allowing everything he kept bottled up to spill over. “I know what you guys are doing, and I admire your bravery. Your tenacity and strength of heart; as if you couldn’t make me love you more.”

‘L-love…?’

“I won’t ask you to cease, or insist that I join you. Even with my Persona, no doubt I’d disrupt the team dynamic you have with Ryuji-kun, Ann-san, Yusuke-kun and the others. I don’t want to do that,” Souji set his bowl down on the counter, taking a deep breath. He slowly lifted his head, pewter meeting gunmetal in a heated lock of eyes. Akira leaned back in his chair, expression reading surprise and confusion in response to Souji’s intensity.

‘What...what is going on with him?’ The raven wondered.

“I won’t and can’t ask you to stop, you’re on a mission and I will support you from the sidelines. All I ask is...is that you come back! Come back in one piece, alive! Come back to me, Akira-kun!” Souji’s fists rested on the counter top, throat tight. “The Phantom Thieves will always have my support, and hold a special place in my heart…! But if something were to happen to you, Akira-kun, I don’t know where that would leave me.”

“Baka, I’m just your friend-with-benefits.” Akira deflected, looking away. His own hands were fists in his lap. “It’s not like you can’t find another, I mean look at you…”

“You think I could easily replace you?! I’m not talking about our time in bed either, in general I would hate to lose you!” Souji was in front of Akira in seconds, hands gripping lightly, yet firmly, his slender shoulders.

“E-eh?! Seta-san, what-”

“You can’t promise me you’ll come back without a few scratches, or so tired you can fall asleep standing up.” Souji cut Akira off softly, as if trying to keep himself from completely breaking down. He took a deep breath and cupped the younger’s face between his hands.

Akira tried to deny to himself that heat began to build in his cheeks at the touch, he tried to deny it and ultimately failed.

‘S-Seta-san…’

“Your work is very rewarding yet at the same time demanding. I know how it can be difficult, slowing down when you’re used to working against the clock. I understand and I support you,” Souji repeated, leaning forward. “But please, if you must choose between your work and your life and those of your friends, please choose the latter. I don’t want to live in a world where you cease to exist. You mean so much to me, Kurusu Akira. As a friend and more! Even if you don’t accept it, you mean so much to me.”

“Accept it?”

“Whatever happened to you, whatever...or whoever broke your heart to the point in which you can’t allow someone new in in fear of being decimated once more, I’m not him. I’m not him; however he hurt you, when and where he will never do it again. I will be everything you need me to be: a friend, a lover, a most trusted confidant, I have no desire to betray you!”

Akira was deadly still, and his eyes felt really warm for some reason. ‘Seta-san…’

“I can’t promise I won’t fuck up and hurt you, with words or actions. I’d be acting as if I’m not human. But I won’t hurt you like he did; if I ever so much as toe the line, set me straight. Make me see the error of my ways,” Souji smiled shakily, leaning forward even more. “Make me appreciate every day how I am lucky that I can love you!”

And then his lips, thin and firm and light, pressed to Akira’s. The raven felt his breath catch in his throat, fingers twitching slightly. Wet warmth trailed down his cheeks; he was crying, again. He was crying again.

It seems he cried a lot around Seta Souji.

The kiss shouldn’t have lasted as long as it did, and shouldn’t have left Akira unable to breathe. When they finally broke their embrace, the raven crumbled in the older’s arms. He held onto Souji tightly, knuckles going white, and hid his face away in his neck.

‘Seta-san is so warm, solid. He doesn’t feel like a dream...maybe, maybe he really does care?’ Akira will no doubt scold himself later for letting his guard down for a few minutes, but at the moment that was far from his mind. Right now, right now this moment was more than worth the pain he’ll experience later.

* * *

“S-Seta-san…” Akira’s eyes fluttered shut behind the elegant, white mask. His shoulders went slack and his knees gave in.

“Joker!” Ryuji screamed, forgetting the shadow currently giving them a damn hard time for a split second. 

“Skull, don’t leave the fight! We need all the help we can get!” Makoto barked sharply, Ann’s gaze on the man with silver hair in a bowl cut catching their now unconscious leader before he hit the ground.

“Joker?!”

“Akira,” Souji choked out, his pewter gray eyes wide. He quickly pressed a hand to the raven’s side. When he drew it back, his palm was wet with red. “A-Akira…”

“That guy, how did he get in here?!” Futaba was scrambling to answer her own question. “Is he...a Persona user too?!”

“You...you caused this!” The rest of the Phantom Thieves turned to look at the man with silver hair. He was glaring hotly at the shadow, teeth gritted and shoulders stiff as boards. “You did this to him! You hurt him!”

“Those glasses.” Morgana noted as the silver-haired man drew out a pair of black, plastic Lexington glasses. “Are they…?”

“You’ll pay for that!” Once the glasses were on the bridge of his nose, Souji was surrounded by an explosion of crackling blue flames. Akira was untouched, his head resting against Souji’s chest. His breathing was weak, and he was losing blood fast. He needs to get out of the Metaverse! “You’ll pay...with your life! Persona!” A small card, appearing within the flames, shattered like glass as Souji crushed it between his fingers. A raw, powerful surge of energy knocked the others off their feet, Yusuke staring in awe as a heavy, thick blade pierced the ground below them.

“Such strength, it’s pulsing and commanding! It rings true to Joker’s own authority...he’s not just a Persona user, he’s the holder of the Fool Arcana!”

A creature garbed in black with a smooth, metal head and stunning topaz eyes hovered behind Souji like a sentinel. Arms crossed and jacket blowing in the wild wind, its head sparked with a surge of blue electricity, as if a tower, before the space around him was struck with lightning at all angles. Not just the shadow the Phantom Thieves were fighting against, but the others, the large mass that had been hiding in the dark corners waiting to ambush.

“Is he a Wildcard too?!” Haru wondered, a hand hovering her mouth.

“Continue your strike, show them no mercy! Reduce them to ashes, Izanagi!”

Akira groaned softly, gunmetal gray eyes barely able to keep themselves open. One of his hands curled up against Souji’s chest, unintentionally undoing one of the buttons of his white shirt. He felt the other’s heart beating like a drum under his fingertips, “Se...ta-san.”

“Shhh, reserve the strength you still have.” Souji’s eyes fell to land on Akira’s thin, paler than normal face. His own eyes softened, tone kinder than the razor-like edge he used to deliver his proclamations of retaliation. “You’ll be okay, Akira-kun. I promise…! I said I’d protect you with everything I have. That includes summoning my Personas; anything I can do to keep you safe when everything else is out of the question.”

‘He came into the Metaverse for me. I never asked him to once, but he didn’t even think twice of the danger…’ Akira’s eyes were wet with tears, and he was glad Souji was too focused on the battle to see them stream down his cheeks from under his mask.

* * *

Akira’s cheeks were bright red, gunmetal gray eyes threatening to pop out of his skull. His hands rested on Souji’s chest, their faces inches apart. The older male was staring him directly in the eyes, his own hands on Akira’s waist.

The two were on the floor of LeBlanc after hours. Sojiro had already left, telling Akira to “play nice” with a knowing wink and smirk since Souji was staying the night.

It was just supposed to be Souji helping Akira study by quizzing him in English. The raven had both a verbal and written exam, and Souji was fairly fluent not only in English but Spanish too apparently. He was multilingual; that only promised passing with flying colors!

And yet here they were, bodies pressed close together and sharing breathing space. The raven could, should pull away. He should break eye contact to slap the silver-haired man silly, because why not?

Instead, he sighed. Souji blinked.

“What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong is that no matter what I seem to do, instead of wanting you at arm’s length I want you around me all the time.” Akira began, frowning. “What lengths do you go to prove your feelings for me...doesn’t it tire you? Don’t you get bored?”

“Why would I?” Souji asked, tilting his head to the side. The raven glared at him, so he was quick to add on, “I mean, if I think you’re worth trying for then why would I get bored? Or get tired??”

“You’ve been with a lot of people. You’re a whore,” Akira stated this with such a straight face Souji ended up laughing. “Baka, I’m insulting you...and it’s the truth. You’ve been with a lot of people. A lot of smart, pretty people who probably responded to your advances a lot sooner than I am. Why keep at something that’s given you so little results?”

“Why wouldn’t I? Why wouldn’t I want to change, leave behind my old whorish ways to give the love of my life all my attention and affection?”

“The love of your life...ha, you need help if you think I’m good enough for that title.”

Souji gently cupped Akira’s face, gently brushed his thumb under his left eye as a tear rolled down his cheek. “They say those that see the lesser traits of themselves, they’re more than willing to help others see their true potential, their value because they rather suffer these doubts and thoughts alone than see someone else experience the tiniest twinge of pain from them.”

‘How can he read me…? What is it about him that gives him such an ability over me??’ Akira’s mind was reeling, his lower lip pinched between his teeth. He whimpered when Souji’s lips brushed against his forehead. The raven could swear his heart was going to break open his chest with how fast it was pounding, how hard it was pounding against his ribs. “S-Seta-san…”

“Souji. Souji.”

“...Souji-san,” Akira corrected his “stumble”, wrapping his arms around Souji’s neck. “Please, if you keep talking like that. Every time we hang out-”

“Just another way to let you know my feelings for you are real,” Souji ran one of his thumbs over Akira’s lower lip, encouraging Akira not to continue leaving indents in the smooth flesh. “One step at a time, we don’t have to rush things.”

“You’ve already fucked me,” Akira pointed out. “Isn’t that going too fast?”

“As long as you want to, I have no complaints. We do things you want, how you want it. As long as you’re happy.”

Akira growled and shoved Souji down so that he was flat on the floor. The older man gasped, and soon his own face was red under the raven’s stare. “To you, it wasn’t fucking was it?” Akira demanded an answer, keeping the silver-haired man’s wrists pinned. “Was it or wasn’t it? You need to answer me!”

“If I tell you though, you’ll get mad at me.” Souji protested, only to wince when Akira glared at him.

“I said tell me, you’re not going anywhere until you do so might as well.”

“...”

“Baka, tell me!” Akira yelled.

“I wasn’t fucking you. I was making love to you.” Souji finally confessed, letting out a soft sigh. “To me, we had gone out on a date and had a great time. I enjoyed talking to you, probably a lot more than you enjoyed talking to me and what happened between us that night was one of the most memorable nights of my life.” Souji’s bangs fell over his eyes, shoulders curved. “I know you woke up that morning thinking it was a one-time thing, and that you planned to cut me out of your life to avoid developing feelings.”

“You were awake.”

“I’m a light sleeper.”

A silence fell over the two, the only noise coming from the rain pouring outside. Akira tugged at his hair, wanting to hide his burning cheeks and watery eyes. ‘Again, my eyes are on fire. He always makes me cry! And I should be mad! But they’re...they’re not angry or sad tears.’

“You don’t have to feel any way about me when we sleep together. As long as you have a good time-”

_ Slap! _

“Baka!” Akira nearly screamed in Souji’s face, tears streaming down his cheeks. The silver-haired man blinked, and soon pulled his wrist free to rub the now aching, red skin.

“You slapped me.”

“Because you shouldn’t be satisfied with that! What’s the point of seeing it as love making if the feelings aren’t mutual? You deserve better than that; I should know, considering everything you’ve done to win my heart.” Akira explained, his hands now gripping the front of Souji’s white button-up shirt. “You are patient, and kind and considerate. You make me lunch and bring it to me at work, you offer to walk me to school before you have to go to class, and can I really forget what happened in the Metaverse? You went in there guns blazing, unaware of the true danger just to save me. Izanagi came to Arsene’s aid; My Gentleman Thief is now head over heels.”

“Izanagi is fond of him too,” Souji said with a tiny smile. Akira’s shoulders shook, and he nodded in agreement. Then he froze when Souji asked, “Wait, if Arsene is in love with Izanagi and he is a part of you...does that mean that you have fallen for me too? As in me, Seta Souji?”

“...Y-yes, against my better judgment I have. I don’t want to give you the gun and permission to pull the trigger, Souji-san. That is essentially what I’m doing by giving you my heart.” Akira whimpered when Souji slowly sat up to cup his face. “That kind of power over someone is both rewarding yet life-threatening. You can easily destroy me and I’m allowing it, I’m allowing it and I’m scared.”

“It’s alright to be scared,” Souji’s voice was barely above a whisper. “It’s alright to worry about having your heart broken, and like I said once before I won’t promise I won’t hurt you with my actions or words. I know I hurt you going into the Metaverse; despite being a Persona user myself, you don’t want me in danger. You want me out of your battles, because it helps you doesn’t it? You don’t have to share me with that world; I’m separate, thus providing moments of peace. I make you feel safe and sound.”

“Stop reading my mind,” Akira mumbled, leaning into the warm, thin hands. “Stop knowing how I feel.”

“I can’t, I’m sorry. Knowing how you feel is very important to me. It’s one of the things I love about you,” Souji smiled brightly and kissed the top of Akira’s head. “We don’t have to put labels on what we have. It doesn’t need it.”

“It doesn’t?”

“No, and that is fine by me. What about you?”

“Y-yes, it’s fine with me too.”

* * *

“You look beautiful today.” Souji said with a bright smile, he and Akira swinging their legs off the edge of the large, wet rock.

“Tsk, I’m just in swim trunks.” Akira waved the compliment aside, cheeks turning a soft red. He bit his lower lip to keep from smiling. Souji chuckled.

“Those swim trunks flatter you. Then again, everything you wear flatters you.”

Akira rolled his eyes. Said eyes weren’t obscured by the sun bouncing off the lens of his glasses, as he had put them away in his bag earlier. He turned his head in the direction of all the laughing and screaming; Ryuji was having a blast splashing Yosuke and Kanji, Teddi was fighting Morgana for Ann’s attention, Chie and Yukiko were making sand castles with Haru and Futaba, Yusuke was drawing away in his sketchbook while Naoto watched him work, and Rise was with Makoto, both finishing up eating (though her gaze was definitely on Akira and Souji) and splayed on their beach towels.

It was really cool...to see their groups of friends hanging out like this. It took some serious planning to get everyone onboard for a trip to Inaba, much less a trip to Shichiri beach, but they did it. A whole day just relishing the waves, Souji’s cooking (Yosuke got him to cook for the trip again), and the sun against their skin. Toes in the sand, watching a sea slug squirm its way around.

Tokyo was beautiful and vibrant and lively, but this...this was something else.

And Akira found himself loving it.

“I’m really glad you came up with this, Souji.” The raven said out of the blue, drawing his legs up to his chest. “It’s been so long since I’ve been at the beach.”

“The Hawaii trip?” Souji asked. Akira nodded.

“It was fun, but this feels more intimate. It’s not as crowded, it’s like having a beach all to ourselves. And I really think that the sky looks different depending where you are. Here it’s more open,” Akira looked up. “It’s cleaner, fresher too. Haha, if I could I fall asleep here I would.”

“We are staying the night,” Souji pointed out. The Phantom Thieves and Investigation Team had packed lots of food, sleeping bags and water prior to arriving. What was better than spending a day at the beach and getting to camp out alongside the waves? Under the stars, without a care in the world?

Sometimes it’s good to forget everything else going on and enjoy the moment.

“Speaking of staying the night, the sleeping arrangements?” Akira mused, looking at the silver-haired man. “Yusuke and Naoto-san, they’ve really it hit off.”

“Think they’ll be alright paired off?”

“Yeah, Yusuke is a gentleman. It’s nice seeing him so comfortable around someone...hmm, I usually bunk with Futaba-chan and Morgana.” Akira paused, looking annoyed now. Souji blinked.

“Akira-kun?”

“I’m going to ask them later if Ann and I can switch,” The raven resumed speaking, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ryuji-kun I’m sure will be bunking with Yosuke and Kanji, that is if your partner is fine with that.”

Souji nodded. “I’m sure Yosuke won’t mind, haha. We can survive one night not in the same tent.” The silver-haired man went with his instincts, taking Akira’s hand in his. “I wouldn’t mind falling asleep under the stars with you.”

Akira’s pulse quickened, his mouth going dry suddenly. His hand remained limp in Souji’s hold before he was smiling and scooting over. He stopped when he felt his hip brush against the other male’s, resting his head on his shoulder. He felt Souji stiffen in surprise, a very faint gasp leaving his rib cage. The raven went still, just in case this was too much.

In no time at all, however, Souji’s arms wrapped around his slender frame. His head pressed lightly to his, the heat of their bodies mingling.

This felt nice. Comforting. Safe and sound.

“I want to sleep under the stars with you too, Souji-san.” Akira’s voice trembled a little at admitting this, but he didn’t stop himself from completing the statement. He let his eyes flutter shut, “I...I think that I want that more and more as time goes on. I enjoy being close to you.”

“You know, if it’s alright with Sakura-san you can spend some nights at my apartment. Or maybe every other weekend, when you’re not dealing with an upcoming infiltration.” Souji suggested, gently carding his fingers through Akira’s messy curls. “I wouldn’t mind waking up to you as many mornings as possible, Aki-kun.”

“We sound like we’re planning on getting married, haha!” Akira shook his head. Souji hummed.

“Would you like to get married one day?”

“Eh?” Akira pulled away to look the silver-haired man in the eye. Pewter gray dancing in sunlight. “Are you asking if I want to get married, like in general? O-or that if I’d like to get married to you one day?”

Souji’s cheeks went pink, though he was still smiling. “I suppose whichever makes you happiest?”

“I used to think I would marry Goro,” Akira said, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “I had dreams about that, even in the situation we found ourselves in at the time. Marriage, a home of our own and children...believe it or not, I wanted normalcy once our mission was done with. I thought I would marry him.”

“He meant so much to you, and I believe he really did love you. Even if it seemed he hated you,” Souji thought his next words carefully, “I think that was all he was truly familiar with, so when you came around and proclaimed love at its purest, most sincere it angered and terrified him. I’m sure he would've wanted that kind of life with you; to see the world differently, sometimes having someone by your side can do that. Especially someone as special as you, Aki-kun.”

“I can’t do it anymore,” Akira deadpanned. He shook his head some more, though his eyes weren’t sad. “Our time together wasn’t in the cards, at least not in for the long run. And while I miss him still...my dreams have changed.”

“Oh? I hope they’re still peaceful, that they don’t leave you…”

“I don’t dream about the interrogation room anymore. I remember it happening, but the dreams have stopped. Either I’ve overcome the trauma, at least the mental trauma, or I’m actively and unconsciously repressing it. Whichever it is, the dreams of being married have changed. I still see myself waiting for someone, dressed in white while my friends bear witness. Cheering and smiling; it used to be Goro I waited for, whom I hoped would meet me. Now, the man coming to meet me is different. No long, shaggy brown hair, or chocolate-coated cherries for eyes.”

“You’re very poetic in your descriptions, I can see why you’d like to go into teaching.” Souji politely interrupted, smile broadening.

Akira let out a giggle, in spite of wanting not to. Souji always knew how to make him laugh. “As I was saying,” he continued, pretending to be cross with the silver-haired man for the interruption. “I used to see him but now it’s someone else. Would you like to know who it is?”

“Is it Kanji? His arms are pretty impressive, though Naoto does have big melons.”

“Baka, neither!” Akira scowled, Souji not bothering to contain his snickering. “Kanji is attractive and all, and Naoto is a beauty but I think she and Yusuke have a special connection.”

“And Kanji?”

“I love it when he shows off his sensitive side, that being said last time I checked he doesn’t have pewter gray eyes, silver hair in a bowl cut and makes paper cranes for fun.”

Souji’s smile promised to split his face in half. “You see me waiting for you?” Akira turned red and crossed his arms, well as best as he could still cuddled up to Souji.

“I see you waiting for me...for some stupid reason I’m in a dress, ugh and Sojiro is giving me away. Yosuke is there, your best man and I think Chie and Yukiko helped Ann and Haru with my hair and makeup. I see you waiting for me, and you’re smiling like you're seeing the sun for the first time. The song ‘Signs of Love’ starts playing, and we all start laughing before you decide to grace me with a dance.” Akira slapped his hand over his mouth, the words effectively cut off. He was saying too much, damn it! Some thoughts should remain as such: thoughts.

Why was he telling Souji this anyway?!

The rich alto he’s grown very familiar with these past few months rumbled against his ear, and the embrace he was currently cowering in tightened just a bit. “I think I would wait for our first dance together, honestly. And if I have any say in the surnames, I think we should hyphen them!”

“You wouldn’t ask me to take your surname?” Akira was stunned by this. Souji shook his head.

“Not if you don’t want to, no. Your surname is yours, Aki-kun. If you wanted to I wouldn’t have any objections; that being said, the same goes for me. I have been playing with it in my head: Kurusu Souji. It doesn’t have a bad ring to it.”

“You’d take my surname.”

“If that's alright with you. If not, the hyphen takes care of that.” Souji replied, a content sigh leaving him. “In case I’m not making it very clear, I would love to marry you one day. If you’ll have me.”

Akira buried his face away in Souji’s shoulders, arms folding around his waist. He could hear the disgruntled noises leaving Rise’s nose, as she was surely the audience of their PDA but this time he didn’t care. He had to hide his tears, hide his smile and hide the fact his face resembled a tomato.

* * *

“You guys better not fool around! These tents have thin walls.” Yosuke wasted no time laying out the ground rules for Souji and Akira sharing a tent tonight. The fawn-haired male had no issue sharing with Kanji and Ryuji, they were becoming close buds by the second. He had to make it clear, though, that just because he was cool with bunking with them that that didn’t give Souji any excuse to screw his boyfriend’s brains out tonight. None of that cliche romance bullshit. “Give me your word, man. I know Aki’s good-looking and all-”

“Love you too, Yo.” Akira blew Yosuke a teasing kiss. The other boy turned red immediately, only to shake his head and glower at the cackling raven.

“S-shut it, you! Save that shit for your bedroom.”

“Will do, relax partner.” Souji held up his hands in the universal surrender pose. “Aki-kun and I already made love on the beach, we got it out of our system.”

“Good, because-wait, what?! You two fucked on the beach?! Where?!”

“None of your business, goodnight!” Akira quickly jumped back into the conversation, grabbing the tent's zipper and pulling it upwards. He almost caught Yosuke’s arm on the way, the older boy grumbling while Akira let out a sigh of relief and sat back down on his sleeping bag. “Did you have to tell him we had sex on the beach? Really, like was that really necessary?”

“You’d think he put two and two together when we went a little ways off from the campsite.” Souji said with a laugh, out of his swim trunks and wearing a pair of gray sweatpants. It was way too warm to sleep with a shirt on; Akira had followed this line of thinking, as he was wearing the sweatpants he’d normally wear to bed.

The raven would have suggested they sleep in their boxers, but that would be in violation of Yosuke’s rule # 14: Kurusu and Seta must keep at least one garment on other than their underwear. They break it, they suffer the consequences for it.

Was it weird that Yosuke was the only one making a big fuss about this? Maybe. Did Akira and Souji give his rules that much attention? No.

Because it’s not like Yosuke can stop them from sharing a sleeping bag, even if both thought ahead to bring their own.

“Does he have these rules in place for everyone you date?” Akira couldn’t help but wonder, shuffling closer once Souji unzipped his sleeping bag.

“No, not to this extreme at least. You’re on a different playing field.” Souji replied, smiling and holding out his hand. Akira blinked.

“I don’t need help getting into a sleeping bag, Souji-kun.”

“I know, still honor me with so?” Akira rolled his eyes but complied, wrapping his arms around Souji’s neck once both were nestled inside. Feeling one of Souji’s legs between his made the raven blush, but he chose not to comment on it.

“You said I’m on a different playing field, what does that mean?”

“Yosuke knows I plan to spend the rest of my life with you.” Souji said, plain and simple. “If this was a short-term relationship, he wouldn’t be testing you so much.”

“...He wants to make sure I’m good enough for you.”

“I think he knows you’re way out of my league, but he keeps at it anyway. I can always talk to him about it if it gets to be too much.” Souji was frowning now. Akira shook his head, tracing random patterns on the silver-haired man’s shoulder.

“I think it’s sweet that he looks out for you so much. As for being out of your league, you got that wrong honey. You’re out of my league.”

“Am I?” Akira nodded, gunmetal gray eyes slightly misty.

“The fact that you accept me despite me being broken, possibly, beyond repair says a lot. You know I struggle with a sense of self-worth, that sometimes I still think about Goro. You know a part of me will always love him, and you don’t try to change that. You know this and embrace it; not only him but Minato-senpai as well, I will always love them.” Souji nodded, encouraging Akira to continue. “You know you’re sharing my heart with two other men, and you don’t resent that.”

“I wasn’t the first man in your life. Nor the second, third, fourth...it doesn’t matter if I’m not the first; if I can be the man you depend on, the man you count on to be there for you through the good and bad and the man that can spend the rest of his life loving you that is enough for me.” Akira swallowed hard. Souji’s words bled with sincerity. He was always bearing his soul to Akira, even with the risk of it being torn to shreds.

Seta Souji was essentially strapping a bomb to his heart, the bomb being Akira, and continuing on as if the risk of explosion wasn’t absolutely horrifying.

How could he continue existing like this…?

“So in other words, we’re hyphening.” Akira declared, folding up his glasses and leaving them on his ignored sleeping bag. He closed his eyes and pulled one of Souji’s arms around his waist.

“We are hyphening.”

* * *

“Let’s stop at this store, Aki-chan!” Said raven blinked his gunmetal gray eyes as Chie tugged at his hand, pointing to her right. Yukiko and Rise turned to look at them, wondering what made them stop.

“This...this is a dress shop.” Akira had to take a few minutes to process this, meeting Chie’s chestnut brown eyes with a raised brow. “You want to see what they have? I can hold yours, Yukiko-san and Rise-san’s bags while you look around.”

“No, not for me! For you,” Chie elaborated, sporting a cheeky grin. “You told me once you cross dressed for a dancing competition, right? Did you like it?”

“I mean, I didn’t mind it. It was for fun.” Akira began, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Oh, I remember that!” Yukiko giggled, “You were dressed like a corrections officer, right? You had a long wig on and handcuffs hanging off your hip.”

Rise didn’t comment, arms crossed over her chest.

“You looked really good,” Chie continued, lacing her fingers with Akira’s. “I think we can find a dress or two here that will look amazing on you! Something I’m sure Souji will appreciate too,” she wagged her eyebrows suggestively towards the end, causing the raven to turn red.

“I said I’d wear a dress for our wedding, can’t I wait until then?”

“No! Souji can’t see the dress before the wedding, bad luck you know, and the wedding dress is the wedding dress. Maybe having something to go out in, out to dinner or the mall? It doesn’t have to be fancy and expensive, just something that screams you. Unless you don’t like dresses.” Chie tilted her head to the side.

Akira bit his lower lip. “It’s not that I don’t like dresses. I do; I don’t really see why only girls can wear skirts or dresses. Clothes don’t really have a gender, not themselves anyway. We assign them a gender.” He sighed, “And I’ve been wanting to go dress shopping for a while. I’m not really sure where to start though; I don’t know dress styles, what colors are ‘in’, what goes well with what shoes. I’m clueless.”

“That’s where we can help!” Yukiko volunteered, clapping her hands together. “With us three at your side, we can narrow down the perfect dress for you! Rise’s good with color coordination, I can help you find the right shoes, and Chie can be in charge of hair and makeup. We can all do our part; we promise you, you will look amazing!”

“...I’m not sure Rise-san will be onboard.” Akira was blunt and honest about his feelings and opinions, and it wasn’t like Yukiko and Chie weren’t aware that Rise had a hot-and-cold relationship with Kurusu Akira. They can have moments of idle chatter, get along in general but she did have a slight grudge against the raven. He was dating, and essentially marrying down the line, Seta Souji. Rise has fancied him since day one, and while Souji has made it clear to everyone that they were only friends the girl had continued hoping. She had continued hoping even when Souji had proclaimed his love for Akira not only in front of the Investigation Team, but the Phantom Thieves of Hearts as well. Everyone had taken it in stride, either smiling or giving high-fives in congrats.

Futaba wasn’t very fond of the idol, since she kind of walked away from the two parties without so much as a “See you later” after the announcement. Ann wasn’t a fan either; usually she and Futaba would be at Akira’s side whenever Rise was around, so they could stop an awkward conversation before it could even begin.

Souji has had a few talks with Rise, hoping he could patch things up between one of his best friends and his boyfriend/soulmate. It’s been hit or miss.

“Rise-san, Yukiko-chan can accompany you to another store if you want. Chie and I can stay here-” Akira began, tone gentle. Only to swallow the rest of his words when Rise held up a hand, signaling silence.

“I, I want to help.” She said. She had to take a deep breath, gather her wits before resuming, “I want to help you, Akira-san. You’re already very pretty, but I want you to take senpai’s breath away!” Her smile was a little tight, but warm still. “I will find you the perfect dress, one that brings out your eyes and flatters your skin tone! Everything, so let’s do this okay?” Rise held out a hand in an offering of peace, looking Akira in the eye.

The raven was silent for a few minutes, before he smiled softly in return and accepted. “Please, I’ll need all the help I can get!” He exclaimed, letting out a light giggle.

‘Even though I’m not...no, he makes senpai happy. If he makes him happy, I can be happy for senpai too.’ The idol’s smile broadened just a tiny bit, pulling Akira along with Chie. Yukiko hid a smile behind her hand, following her friends inside the dress shop.

Today is going to be so much fun!

* * *

“Honey, I’m home!” Seta Souji called out playfully as he closed his apartment door behind him. He took off his shoes and left his bag by the T.V. stand, stretching his arms above his head. “I forgot to tell you I went grocery shopping yesterday, do you feel up for...Yaki Udon?”

“Welcome back, sweetie! I actually got started on dinner, I should have texted you.” Akira’s voice drifted out from the kitchen, the raven gently wiping his hands off on his (Souji’s) apron. “How did your shift go? Did you remember to say hi to Lala for me? If not, well you baka but I’ll try and stop by this weekend. I miss our chats.” Akira went on talking, letting out a soft giggle. It took a while but soon enough he realized Souji was just staring at him; inside he was smirking, but on the outside he pretended to be confused. “Souji-kun, what’s wrong? You’re just staring at me!”

“H-how can I not?” Souji demanded, his cheeks going red. “Aki-chan, what are you wearing?”

“Oh? You don’t like it?” Akira frowned, pulling the apron off and setting it on the kitchen counter. The raven rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, actually more like on the heels of his platformed, ankle-length boots. “Chie-chan, Yukiko-chan and Rise-san helped me pick it out. I’ve been wanting to spice up my wardrobe for a while now; I thought this looked cute, do you really not like it?”

‘It’s not that! It’s that you’re gorgeous and sexy and cute and it’s killing me!’ Souji’s thoughts were loud and ringing like church bells, blood pounding hard behind his ears (and somewhere else).

Kurusu Akira was leaning against the kitchen counter in what could be called Gothic Lolita-inspired attire: a thin-strapped black leather dress that stopped above his milky white knees. The leather was shiny for sure, the main light (AKA the T.V.) proved that. Despite Akira not having a feminine chest, the way the dress was crafted flattered his torso and hugged his curves in all the right ways. The dress was sleeveless, replaced by black mesh arm warmers with an intricate rose flower pattern; his stockings matched and a solid black choker caressed the smooth bend that made up Akira’s neck.

He had very light makeup on: eyeliner to make those gunmetal pools really pop, mascara, faint red blush and rich pink lipstick. His hair was still short and curly and messy, but that was perfection in itself so why do anything with it?

He...Akira looked amazing.

“Souji-kun? Souji-kun! Baka, wake up!”

“Eh?” Souji shook his head back and forth, trying to remember how to breathe. Akira crossed his arms, lower lip between his teeth.

‘Damn it, that face he’s making!’

“S-sorry, I spaced out. You...you look nice, Aki-chan.” Souji was really having a hard time talking, wonder why! He was so glad he still had his jacket on, though he wasn’t sure how much it covered up in terms of his now raging boner.

“Are you just saying that? Do I really look that bad?” The playfulness in Akira’s eyes dimmed, said eyes falling to the carpet floor below his heels. Souji panicked. He crossed over to his lover in three, quick strides, cupping his face between his hands. “S-Souji?!”

“You could never look bad, Aki-chan. It’s as if you were born to be stunning, angelic even! When you wake up in the morning, you take my breath away. When you get out of the shower, your skin’s glowing. When you take a nap, it’s like witnessing a divine creature suddenly appearing in my living room! You are beautiful, my love; this dress, it’s tempting me to make love to you. In it; I can’t tell if you’re an angel saving my soul from damnation or a demon promising that with just one kiss.” Souji pressed their foreheads together, Akira’s cheeks now as flushed as the silver-haired man’s. “Regardless of whichever you are, I am so very inclined to let you have it. I am so very inclined to have you tell me, how exactly you want me to make love to you. However you want it, Aki-chan; your wishes are my commands.”

“B-baka, you’re being silly!” Akira whined, throwing his arms around Souji’s waist when he was soon locked in a passionate kiss. His hands played with Souji’s hair, threading as many strands of silver hair between his nimble, thin fingers. The raven gasped because soon the older male held him in his arms bridal style, pewter gray eyes dancing with mischievous delight. “S-Souji!?”

“I need to get the practice in,” Souji declared, suddenly looking very serious. He kissed Akira’s cheek, humming. “I don’t want to drop my lovely, blushing bride on the big day now do I?”

“Baka!”

* * *

“Dude, you okay? You’re limpin’ and shit,” Ryuji asked Akira as they were finishing studying up for the day. The raven was stiff repacking his bag, and when he started to make his way towards the stairs he paused from time to time as if just moving ached. “Akira? Akira man, you okay?”

“I got fucked last night. Of course I’m okay,” Akira reassured with a grin over his shoulder. “And now I’m going to bed, you should too when you get home; we’re going to need all the sleep we can get tonight for tomorrow’s test.”

“...You got...okay, going to pretend I didn’t hear that first part. See ya tomorrow, man!”

“Later!”


End file.
